Henry's Plan
by aswanandapirate
Summary: Henry believes in true love because he's seen it before. After meeting Killian Jones, Henry finds himself wanting a father. He's willing to do whatever it takes to get one, even if that means letting his mother fall in love with a pirate.
1. Chapter 1

"Good morning, mom! Can we go to Granny's for breakfast?" Henry walked into the kitchen of their apartment, looking around for Emma. He had only recently begun calling Emma his mother, but it was a welcome change. "Mom? Are you here?" he yelled, his voice echoing through the seemingly empty apartment. He was about to give up and make himself a Pop-Tart when he saw a note on the counter.

_'Gone to the station. Needed to take care of some business early. Should be done by the time you get out of school. I'll pick you up and meet you at Granny's. Love, Mom' _

"Well, that's that," Henry thought to himself. He grabbed his backpack and made his way out of the loft, mentally preparing for the daily grind of elementary school. The school was nice and he loved having Mary Margaret as a teacher, but the work just wasn't difficult enough. He wanted a challenge, maybe even an adventure. Luckily for Henry, adventure came to him that very morning in the form of a one handed pirate.

Hook sauntered down the main street sidewalk as if he wasn't totally lost and looking for a fight. He had just been released from the hospital half an hour ago. The dried blood on his shirt was starting to smell, but he really had nothing else to wear. After the incident with Rumplestiltskin and Belle at the town line, the majority of its citizens had not bothered to acknowledge him, let alone give him clothes to wear. It seemed that they didn't quite understand that he had nothing against Belle. All Hook cared about was hurting the Crocodile. Now that his revenge was taken care of, Hook decided it was time to go looking for his swan.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice a little boy with a brilliant smile and a mischievous look in his eyes heading toward him.

"Hey! Hey you!" the boy yelled. Hook turned around to see eyes as green as seawater looking back at him. The lad standing before him looked to be about ten years old, and he had a familiarity about him that Hook couldn't put his finger on.

"Hello, lad. What seems to be the problem?" He gave the boy what he hoped was a reassuring smile. He couldn't have the townspeople seeing him as a predator as well as a criminal. Hook's smile widened, however, when he heard the boy's next question.

"Are you Captain Hook?" Hook swallowed.

"Why yes, boy, that is my more colorful moniker. However, you may call me Killian." The boy's childlike innocence reminded him of boys he used to run with in Neverland. But that was a long time ago. He was a boy no longer. Love and loss was a transformative process for him, and Captain Hook was born in the process. "What's your name, lad?"

Henry could not contain his excitement any longer. "I can't believe you're really him! You're Captain Hook! You're in my story book! I've been waiting for you to show up!" He stopped, finally comprehending what the man had asked him. "Oh. My name is Henry. Henry Mills. Pleased to meet you." He held out a hand to shake.

"Good to meet you too, Henry." Hook shook Henry's hand. "I was wondering, Henry, while I've got you here, could you help me with something? An adventure of sorts?"

"An adventure? Sure! What is it?" Henry looked up at Killian with hope shining in his eyes. He hadn't been on an adventure since Operation Cobra with Emma and before that, his "mother", Regina, hadn't allowed him to do anything fun.

"I'm looking for a woman." Killian paused when Henry gave him a blank look. "Not like that. We'll maybe like that. Oh, bloody hell, I shouldn't have said that. I-" he clenched his teeth and cursed himself silently for cursing in front of a child. "How about I just tell you the whole story?"

"Uh...okay. Can we go to Granny's though? I'm getting hungry." Henry walked closer to Killian and grabbed his hand, pulling him in the direction of the diner. "Come on. You can tell me all about it on the way."

"And that's how I met Emma Swan." Hook finished. He had been telling his story to Henry for the last hour and a half, and he suspected that the raven haired waitress refilling Henry's hot chocolate was listening in on their conversation. "The last time I saw her was a few weeks ago when I was still in the hospital. She questioned me about Cora and told me she'd 'pick me' to be dead guy of the year, then proceeded to leave with Rumplestiltskin." He couldn't help feeling a little betrayed by her decision, now that he thought of it. Emma knew Hook didn't trust the Crocodile, but she went with him anyway.

"What if I told you I could lead you right to Emma?" Henry smiled at Hook like he knew something the pirate didn't. "But first, what if I told you that I could find out if she likes you? I mean, you're obviously in love with her and I really like you, so if she loves you too, there's no reason this can't work. Then we can hang out like this all the time!" Henry sent another brilliant smile Hook's way.

Killian couldn't help noticing their waitress's raised eyebrows at Henry's outburst. "Henry, let's take it one step at a time, okay?" He paused for a minute, letting Henry's words sink in fully. He squinted at the boy and murmured to himself for a minute. "Hold on. Is Emma your mother?"

Henry looked a bit guilty. He had sort of tricked Killian into telling him all about his and Emma's story. "Well, yes. She's my mom. But I'm still going to help you! I don't know you that well yet, but I do know that you seem perfect for each other. True love really exists; I've seen it, and I think you and Emma have it."

Hook's jaw dropped and he stared at the table for a minute. "Look lad, I really like you and I do want to find your mom, but true love? True love doesn't exist for me anymore. I don't deserve to have it." He thought back to all of the horrible things he had done after Milah's death and cringed. He certainly had a darker past than most.

"But-" Henry started. "If you could just hear yourself-"

"That's the last I want to hear of this 'true love' nonsense. Now, if you're ready, I'd like to go find your mom." Hook stood up and held his hand out to Henry. "Ready?"

Henry stared down at the table for a couple more seconds. He refused to accept Hook's brush off of "true love", and little did Hook know, he was going to make sure that he and Emma ended up together. 'And then we'll be one big happy family, like it's supposed to be.' Henry thought to himself.

"Yeah." Henry smiled up at Hook at took his good hand. "Let's go find her."


	2. Chapter 2

Sweat dripped off of Emma's nose and onto the paperwork sitting in front of her. The heating system in the building seemed to be overcompensating for the freezing drizzle that had started up outside and was now beating against the windowpanes of the station.

Emma was on edge, and the sweltering heat didn't help things. She was still worked up from her shouting match with Neal earlier, and pretending to concentrate on mindless paperwork while she fumed didn't seem like a good use of an afternoon. That man was so infuriating! He insisted that he still loved her, then had the audacity to accuse Emma of depriving Henry when she yelled at Neal to leave town.

The worst part of Neal's speech earlier that day was that, despite what she screamed at him, he actually wouldn't leave town, maybe ever. The man who she knew as Neal turned out to also be Bae, Rumplestiltskin's son. Emma couldn't kick Neal out of town if she tried without having to answer to Rumplestiltskin, and that wasn't an option. That man was in a terrible mood, and he had been since Belle had lost her memories, so getting on his bad side might not be a good idea. Maybe if Hook hadn't been such a dumbass and shot Belle, she wouldn't be in this situation.

Ah Hook. The man was honestly the worst villain Emma had ever seen. It seemed the only plan of his that succeeded was actually getting to Storybrooke. After that, he had been thwarted time and again up until the very moment he was hit by a car, which incidentally, had saved his life. What she couldn't understand was why, despite her betrayal on the beanstalk and his speech about being "done with her", Hook didn't seem angry with her. The first words he said to her in Storybrooke were, "Hey beautiful," and that had been when he was lying on the ground after being hit by a car.

She hadn't spoken to him since she questioned him in the hospital about Cora. After a month or so, the man wasn't dead yet, so she assumed he heeded her advice about Gold. Emma wasn't about to let Hook try for revenge again. He had a death wish, and despite their rocky beginning, Emma didn't want him to die.

"I don't want him to die." she repeated the words out loud. Why did she care? She didn't. But this was his opportunity at a second chance at life, and she didn't want Hook to squander it on some half assed revenge plot. She didn't care about him. She couldn't. She wouldn't. Emma ran her hands through the sweaty tresses on her head. "Why is it so damn hot in here? I can't think!" she stood up from the desk and started to pace between her desk and the jail cell.

Emma's eyes widened as two pairs of boots appeared in front of her. One pair was her sons, the other pair unfortunately belonged to a very annoying pirate who was...holding her son's hand?

Hook looked at her with a cocky smile on his face and uttered, "I'm sorry, love, I can leave if it's too warm in here for you."

"You're an idiot." Emma scoffed at Hook, looking away from him and towards Henry. "Hey kid, why aren't you in school?"

"Hey Mom." Henry answered then looked around the room, eventually fixing his eyes on the jail cell. He had been unable to talk to Hook on the way to the station due to the howling wind and rain outside, so he had spent the last fifteen minutes or so forming a plan in his head about how to get Killian and his mother to talk to each other. And not to brag, but he thought his plan was brilliant and that it would go off without a hitch.

"I met Killian today. I saw him walking down the street looking lost on my way to school, and I thought, who better to help a lost man than the sheriff? I'll be off to school in a minute, but first I promised Killian that I would show him how surprisingly comfy the cot in the cell is." Henry pulled Killian by the arm into the jail cell, ignoring the looks of surprise he received from the both of them.

When Emma followed them into the cell, Henry had to bite his cheek to contain his excitement about the success his plan was having so far. If he could just get her to come in a little farther...

"Mom, have you ever sat on this cot before? I think they got a new mattress or something, it's so comfortable!" Henry stood up and motioned for Emma to sit down on the cot next to Killian. Hook winked at her and held out his hand.

"I don't know Henry. How is this relevant to you getting to school?" Emma raised an eyebrow at her son. She smelled something fishy, and it wasn't Hook. Although he did smell somewhat like seawater, now that she was close enough to smell him.

"I just wanted to compare this one to my bed at home for the sake of science." Henry smiled at his mother, then sent a panicked look Hook's way and mouthed, "Distract her!" to him.

Killian grabbed Emma's arm and pulled her down onto the cot. "Come on, sweetheart. Humor dear Henry here. You told me about him when we met in fairytale land, but I have to say, Henry is a wonderful and brilliant lad. Are you sure he's _your_ son?" Hook's eyes locked with Emma's, a blank expression on his face.

"You are actually the worst." Emma told Hook. "Of course he's my son." A squeak and a clang came from behind her, and she turned around only to find that Henry had left the jail cell and pulled the door closed behind him. She reached for the keychain that usually dangled from her belt loop, only to find that it had disappeared. Emma looked frantically around the cell until she heard a jingle and saw that Henry had her keys.

"Henry...What are you _doing_?" she asked, not sure why her son was acting so strangely. "By all means, leave Hook in here, but let me out! I need to do my job."

"Look mom, I'm really sorry, but I spent the last couple of hours with Killian and-" At this, Emma shot a glare in Hook's direction. She was certain Hook had convinced Henry to pull this stunt. He wouldn't do this to her on his own. "he's actually a really cool guy. He told me the story of how you and he met, and I think it's really sweet. He just needs a chance to explain himself, and you're going to give it to him. I'm going to go to school now and leave you guys here to work out your problems. I'll be back in a few hours." Emma gasped, unable to believe what was happening. "Love you, mom!" With that, Henry sauntered over to Emma's desk, set the keys down, and walked out the door.

Hook finally let out the laughter he had been holding in since he questioned whether Henry was Emma's son. "You know, Emma, your son is more like you than I thought. He, like you, has absolutely no problem with leaving people behind to rot, despite having good intentions."

She didn't want to laugh at his barb, but she had to admit it was a funny situation. He rolled her eyes, laughing, and hit him in the arm. "Shut _up_."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you guys for your awesome reviews! They really make my day! :) Not too much Henry in this chapter, but I hope you guys will forgive me. I like it.**

Henry hummed to himself as he skipped down the sidewalk, elated at the fact that the school week was over. School that day had been unchallenging as usual, but he was excited to head back to the station and check on his mother and Captain Hook. Phase One of Operation: D was in effect, and he hoped that they had managed to work their differences out by now. Eight hours seemed to be enough time for the two to talk. He hated that he had to lock Emma up like that, but there wasn't a better way for her to actually sit down and listen to Killian's story.

As the station came into view, Henry wondered what actually went on between the two while he was at school. If no one was dead when he got there, he would would consider the plan so far a success.

After a few hours of Hook snoozing and Emma staring at a wall, Hook yawned and finally broke the silence.

"Kid has gumption, I'll give him that." Hook grinned at Emma and winked. "Just like his mother."

Emma raised an eyebrow at Hook and crossed her arms. "Cut the crap, Hook. What are you planning?"

"Nothing, love. I was just having a bit of fun with your lad. I only met him this morning, you know, but I can already see he and I becoming great friends." He absentmindedly played with his necklace, pulling on the charms at the end. "He trusts me a lot more than you do, that's for sure. I can't seem to catch a break when it comes to you."

Emma made a face at him, obviously irritated. "Well you haven't done anything to warrant my trust."

His hold on the necklace strained and one of the charms snapped off and skittered across the floor. "I could argue that, at first, I didn't do anything to cause you to distrust me either. Speaking of, why didn't you trust me up on the beanstalk?" Hook was smiling still but Emma could see there was hurt in his eyes. "We defeated a giant and found the compass together. We were a great team, and despite what you might think, I never lied to you. I fully intended to continue helping you on your way back to Storybrooke and back to your son."

She picked up the charm on the floor of the cell. It was a small silver key. "But you didn't help me, Hook. After I left you, you got right back with Cora and you took Aurora's heart and left us locked in a cell to fend for ourselves. I had every right to be suspicious up there." He didn't understand. He could never understand. Emma needed to get back to Henry, and after Neal...well after Neal it was difficult to trust anyone, especially someone as similar to her as Hook. "You're a pirate and all you care about is your own well being and your revenge. How was I to know you wouldn't have betrayed me the minute we got down from the beanstalk?" She looked away and stood up, deciding pacing the length of the tiny cell was a better option than seeing her betrayal in the pirate's eyes.

"That's because you bloody left me up there to die! Do you think I got back with Cora because I _like_ her?" He scoffed. "No! I hate that infernal woman, but I had no choice but to get back with her. You had betrayed me and I was left with no way to get here." He huffed out his irritation. "After three hundred years of planning my vengeance, I would have no way to carry it out. I would have absolutely nothing to live for anymore. You have no idea what that feels like. Now, Emma, why did you really leave me up there? And don't give me that crap about being a pirate. I wasn't lying to you and _you know it_."

"Do you remember when I told you I had been in love once? Well it wasn't that simple. I met a man a long time ago. Alone, a thief, and running from his past, just like me. We were together, partners in crime for months, and I fell in love with him. I thought he loved me too." She looked down, unconsciously touching the spot where the swan necklace used to be. "Turns out I was wrong. He betrayed me and left me alone, in jail for his crime, and pregnant with his child. After him, I promised myself never to trust someone again."

Hook was quiet for a minute, contemplating her explanation. He stood up, joining Emma on the other side of the cell. "That man is a bloody bastard, but I'm not him, Emma. You should have trusted me. I had no problem trusting you." He held out his hand to her and looked up expectantly.

"I guess I should have." she mumbled. His action surprised her. Why was he holding out his hand? Did he think she would trust him that easily? "Hook...what are you-"

He reached for the item in her hand. "My key, if you please."

"Oh sorry. Here." Emma blushed and placed the key in Hook's hand, accidentally brushing her fingers on his palm as she did so.

Hook felt something similar to a shock when she touched him and looked up to see that she had felt it too. "What the bloody hell was that?"

Her eyes widened. "I- I don't know." She backed away from Hook, startled by what had just happened. "I guess I shocked you. Static electricity and all of that."

He approached her and reached out his hand. "I want to try something. Don't freak out." He grabbed her wrist and promptly dropped it again when he felt another spark.

"What the hell?" Emma reached out and touched his shoulder next. The shock came again. It was unexpected, but not uncomfortable. In fact, it felt sort of like- No. That couldn't be it. She was NOT about to compare being shocked to _that_ feeling. _That_ feeling was only meant for affairs in the bedroom. Emma squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, trying to rid herself of the dirty thoughts she was having starring her and her cellmate.

Hook snickered and looked at Emma, then grabbed her hand again. Another shock. "You know, love, I know of a similar feeling to this..." He inched nearer to her with each word until their faces were inches apart. "It feels exactly like-" His thought was never finished.

"I'm back! I'm assuming you two are getting along, right?" Henry yelled from the hallway leading to the sheriff's office.

"Oh, we're getting along _swimmingly_." Hook whispered to Emma before wetting his lips with his tongue. His smolder was absolutely scorching and totally _unfair_ to look at, so she backed away and turned towards the front of the cell.

"We're fine, Henry. Can you let me out now?" she pleaded, unable to stay in a confined space with that kind of tension any longer.

Hook chuckled at Emma's uncomfortable attitude and looked over at Henry as he walked towards the cell. "How was school, lad?" There was a smug grin on Hook's face and Emma had to stop herself from slapping it off. The man was infuriating.

When Henry entered the station and saw the look on his mother's face, he knew he had interrupted something important and possibly critical to Operation: D. _At least that means they were talking to each other. Emma's pretty stubborn and I was afraid they would sit in silence all day. This is much better._

"So what have you guys been up to while I was at school?" Henry looked from Emma to Hook, noting the guarded looks on their faces.

"Well..." Emma fidgeted with her hands and looked over at Hook, daring him to say a word. "Not much, kid. We were locked in a jail cell after all. I got a few hours of sleep in."

"Yeah me too." Killian smirked and gave Henry a wink. He took this as a sign that Killian was still on board with the plan.

Henry stopped with the pleasantries and got down to business. "Did you guys work out your problems yet? Because if you haven't, I have no problem keeping you here. Grandpa won't be here for the night shift for another two hours, so don't think I won't."

Emma rolled her eyes and gestured between her and Hook."Yes, Henry. We talked out our problems and we're friends now and everything is puppies and rainbows. Can I go now?"

Henry squinted at her for a minute then pulled out a key and unlocked the cell door. "You know, Mom, I think I inherited your special talent. I can tell when people are lying too. You aren't telling me the whole story, but I'm going to let both of you out anyway because I'm hungry and I think we should all go to Granny's."

"Why is he going with us?" Emma asked as she walked out of the cell she had only minutes ago been _too_ comfortable sharing with Hook.

Killian followed Emma out of the cell, laughing, with his hand ghosting over the small of her back. "The lad and I have developed a friendship over the past day. Do you have a problem with that?"

Henry sensed Emma about to answer negatively and promptly cut her off. "Nope! She doesn't. Now let's go! I'm hungry."

Emma rolled her eyes but followed Henry towards the door. She turned back towards Hook and bit her lip."You coming?"

"Of course." He answered like there was no reason for Emma to question him.

Emma couldn't understand why, but just for a moment, Hook was acting like he was a part of their broken little family. The scary part was, for that moment, Emma didn't have a problem with it.


End file.
